Calculate your solar savings

Solar Calculator

Why use PowerScout's automatic calculator?

Since each house is different, it can be difficult to know precisely how much you stand to save by switching to solar energy. The amount of electricity your home will be able to produce depends on a variety of factors, including the shape of your roof, the amount of sunshine that falls on it, and the presence of trees or other obstructions that can cast shadows. The more direct sunlight that your panels receive, the more energy your system will be able to produce, and the more money you’ll save each month.

The amount of money you’ll be able to save depends not only on your energy generation capabilities, but also on the amount you’re currently paying for electricity and the availability of government incentives for your particular solar project. More incentives and higher local electricity rates will generally translate to more savings when you make the switch to solar.

What you get from using the calculator

Using satellite imagery and a powerful artificial intelligence algorithm, we can determine whether solar is a good option for your home. If it is, the calculator can crunch the numbers for you and estimate approximately how much you can save by installing solar panels.

The estimate will also help you understand what sort of government incentives are available for your home and how each of them would modify your potential savings. All homeowners who invest in solar from now through 2020 are eligible for the federal renewable energy investment tax credit (ITC). The ITC provides homeowners with a generous tax credit equal to 30 percent of your residential solar energy system. In other words, if your system cost $20,000, you could claim a $6,000 credit. Additional financial incentives might be available at the state or local level. The solar renewable energy credit, for instance, allows homeowners who have solar energy systems installed to receive a credit based on the amount of energy their system produces, then sell the credit to their local electric utility.

Finally, the calculator can determine whether you qualify for $0 down financing options. Most homeowners don’t buy their system outright (but they should, since doing so offers the greatest savings). Instead, most people finance their solar systems through loans obtained from their financial institution or from the installer they work with. The increased availability of solar loans is one of the many reasons why solar is now cheaper than ever and becoming more common every day.

How to use the calculator

Using PowerScout’s calculator is easy. Just punch in your address and we’ll take care of the rest. We’ll pull an image of your roof from satellite data, access the local weather station for information about how much sun it receives, and determine how the presence or absence of trees and other obstructions will impact your energy production potential.

We’ll then compare this environmental data against your local electricity rates and usage patterns. Finally, we’ll compile all the information to provide you with clear, useful insights you can use to figure out if solar is right for you.

Additional details

In addition to our convenient, easy-to-use calculator, we’ll also offer a full solar report for your home. The solar report provides additional information, including how many panels you’ll need based on the size of your roof. For an average six-kilowatt system, you’ll typically need about 450 square feet of roof space and about 25 solar panels.

The solar report will also provide an analysis detailing how your decision to adopt solar power would impact the environment. Solar power is clean, renewable, and abundant. Unlike standard sources of energy generation, solar power produces no smog, pollution, or carbon emissions. Your report provides information regarding how solar power could help you reduce your household’s carbon footprint

Finally, the solar report offers a more detailed cost-benefit analysis that compares the savings you could see from leasing and purchasing solar panels, and information about how many additional solar panels you’d need if you decided to purchase an electric car.

What next?

If the calculator determines that your home is a good candidate for solar power, your next step will be to request quotes from high-quality local solar installers that have partnered with PowerScout. We like when installers compete for your business, since it means you’ll get a great deal.

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Estimated savings are based on a projected annual utility rate increase of 3.5% over the life of the
system. Actual pricing and savings will vary and is not guaranteed. Savings depends on several
factors, including product type, system production, system size, geography, weather, shade,
electricity usage, full utilization of all available tax credits and rebates by the system owner,
and utility rate structures and rate increases.